Maasai Mara hotels run out of beds on wildebeest crossing

By GEORGE SAYAGIE

Hotels in Maasai Mara have run out of bed space on increased tourist arrivals following the annual wildebeest migration. This has compelled visitors to seek accommodation in private homes.

Mara National Reserve management said more than 100,000 tourists have witnessed the migration and more are coming before the spectacle ends next month.

Over the years, the peak tourist arrivals for the migration spectacle have been recorded at about 90 percent, giving the facilities room to cope with the high demand. It is different this time around.

The migration from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania started early this year from May as opposed to July and August, catching the hoteliers on the wrong foot.

Mara National Reserve administrator Christine Daabash said on Monday the number of tourists had risen in recent weeks.

“The number of tourists has been increasing between April and this month. In April we had 9,000 tourists. This shot to 11,000 in May and 26,535 in June. We expect the number to go up to 100,000 by the end of this month,” she said.